One More For The Incompetence Column

I have noted before that it is often hard to discern the motivation behind some of the actions of the administration of President Obama. Is it a bungling but well-intentioned set of goofballs or a malicious set of predators trying to destroy our nation and establish the classless society?

Well, chalk this one up in the column marked "plain incompetence."

• The Republicans have had a candidate's debate scheduled for wednesday for quite a while now.
• The President's handlers saw he was falling in the polls while on vacation and panicked.
• A Major Speech was pre-announced. Content and timing to be determined but it was going to be a jobs plan presentation. Just like last year, this is so important it had to be put off until after the President's vacation ended.
• The usual methods of setting a date were totally disregarded, apparently, and the TelePrompTer was reserved for Wednesday, when the debate was scheduled. The President wants a joint session of congress in 3,2,1,GO!
  
• The White House Press Secretary was lambasted for presenting an inexcusably arrogant attitude: the debate is only one of many on one of many channels, so preempting it is no big deal. Besides, we won't be upset if they decide to reschedule their debate to work around our arbitrarily chosen date that conflicts with their long-established schedule!
• Rush Limbaugh and others told Boehner not to give an inch.
• The President's people must have taken another poll and realized how asinine they looked, because they decided to move the speech a day later.

The left stream media are saying the White House decided not to overshadow the debate. The skeptic in me thinks if the debate was on, the President would be the one getting lower ratings but we'll never know, now. They decided to have 500+ very important rich people come out (both houses of Congress) the day the NFL season opens. I will be richly amused if this date also proves unpossible. You see, both houses have to agree to a joint session, and they are not scheduled to be back in town until Thursday. In ONE day you have to get a resolution through both houses which prevents them seeing the football season opening game? Good luck with that. And even if they did get a joint session together, the only people watching would be Congressional and White House staff . . . in rooms with 2 televisions . . . and the other TV will have the game playing!

Everyone but the kool-aid drinkers knows already that this prespeech hubbub is a lot of fuss over nothing. I bet you a penny there will be no brave new plan, just different shades of the same old failed leftist ideas and stuff so outrageous and/or expensive they know the Republicans could never go along with it.

By the way, the joint session of congress is an unnecessary expense - they could always just do an internet Press Release or a YouTube video, but then the Congress isn't there for a prop *cough*styrofoam columns*cough* so . . . .

It's SO Hot . . .

Sunday on the way to Church in the afternoon, my car said it was 116º outside. The local radio news said that it was officially an all-time record for the day at 112º at the Official Reporting Weather Station.

I keep a box of fuses in the Hot Rod. It's got a half-dozen little compartments with different values of fuses inside a bubble-packed clear plastic retail package. It was a pretty slick little affair actually. Was. Today I noticed that the bubbles are all half as tall as they were and cloudy (vice clear) and the whole package is warped. The box of fuses was in the sun on the seat of the car. It melted.

Deals: They're Everywhere!

A guy I know is trying to get a new camera lens for me. They sell in shops all the way up to $300+. You can get them all day long for $200-$250 if you know where to look. When I mentioned it to him, he was determined to pay no more than $100. . . . and he may have found one at $120.

I was tripping out a little over that, until I remembered not too long ago I snagged a similar piece of gear for a friend, from someone who didn't want it, absolutely free.

If you want nice stuff, you can buy it or you can hunt down a bargain. SOMEWHERE out there someone is trying to unload exactly what you want.

That's One Law-Abidin' Family, Right There.

Auntie Zetuni is officially not going to be prosecuted for being an illegal immigrant, since her nephew is the President. That would be, AFTER she was ordered deported.

Do we really need to revisit the way bankruptcy LAW was turned on its head in the GM bailout?

And now Obama is arrested. No, not President Barry O, his Uncle. His uncle was arrested. Onyango Obama nearly got in a wreck with (of all things) a Police cruiser . . . because he was driving drunk. AFTER he was ordered deported for being an illegal immigrant.

Illegal immigration: maybe you can guess where the President gets the idea it's okay?

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No, no, I won't mention that he STILL hasn't produced a non-fakies birth certificate (or school transcripts, or immigration paperwork or ANYTHING) showing that he's actually from here, that would just be racist!

Stupid Dogs

VFDDawg #2 is the male, bigger-boneded, and the Alpha of the two Chihauhas. Tonight at dinnertime their food dish (with 2 bowls both full of food) was along a wall by their bed. VFDDawg #1 was patiently waiting her turn like a good little bitch and it got on my nerves. A couple of times my Darling Wife had told him to let her eat, but he wasn't being very generous. As I walked by, there VFDDawg #2 was standing SIDEWAYS and blocking access to both bowls, turning his head to get a bite. I pushed his bottom and it startled him - he yelped and jumped into bed. I moved their bowl away from the wall so they could have access from both sides.

I guess it bothered my Darling Wife also, because in a minute she had moved the bowl halfway across the room, under #3's school desk, with nothing around it to block access from any direction.

These small dogs, they are stupid. They are now (half an hour later) wandering forlornly around their bed wishing they could get some food. I'd explain it to 'em but they don't speak English.

Who Needs Grass, Anyway?

We're in the worst drought in centuries down here and it looks to continue into next year according to some meteorologists. I heard a guy saying every minute the City allows him to water, he has his irrigation system going to keep his GRASS alive. He said "just look at it" and suggested I consider what it will look like when they go to Stage 2 water restrictions and he can only water half as much next month.

I looked at it. It was green. I look at my formerly-green lawn, and it is dirt with dead grass here and there. My next door neighbor is xeriscaping his front yard and I have been thinking it looks pretty nice.

Grass, I can do without. Oh, but there is one part of the yard where the grass is thick as anything: right by the spigot where the soaker hoses (for the house foundation) are connected.

Do Want: A Fast Prime Lens

Today I went and visited my parents and played with my Dad's new toy: a 50mm F1:1.8 prime lens on his "little" Canon DSLR. That thing is amaaaaazing. It is stupid fast. I shoot pictures (almost) in the dark at work, and I would really like to have one of these for my work camera. Sure you have to "zoom with your feet" a bit, but pick the right focal length when you select your prime and you're halfway there.

I didn't know what I was missing. No wonder these sold out immediately.

You will click this link. You will laugh. Try not to wake your baby, like I just did.

At least he went back to sleep on his own.

Note: Retirement Savings Should Be Invested Elsewhere

It is probably not a good idea to put your long-term money in an investment where it will shrink, and they tell you it will be a losing proposition before you put your money there. Even if that investment is US treasury bonds. The short term note has a negative rate of interest again.

This is not a sign of health in the world's economies. But not to worry, they all say Q3 may be showing us some big numbers in US GDP growth! Please disregard that we revised downward the GDP numbers for Q2 by almost 25%.

Might Have to Change Banks Over This One.

I may actually have to change where I do my banking. We started out with Washington Mutual which was swallowed up by Chase. Chase, as you may have heard, is evil. Oh, you didn't hear that? Then read all about it my friends. And consider what it means that your money is making this business' profits.